Bruce Banner - The Hulk Appreciation 2021

[McFarlane's Green Hulk]

Incredible Hulk #307
“…the Hunt Across Worlds!”

Cover Date: May 1985
Sale Date: February 5th, 1985
Writer: Bill Mantlo
Artist: Sal Buscema
Inker: Gerry Talaoc
Letterer: Jim Novak
Colorist: Bob Sharen
Editor: Carl Potts
Guest Stars/Supporting Cast: Puffball Collective
Antagonists: Xeron, Captain Cybor, Klatuu
Synopsis: Continued minutes after the last page of the previous issue, the Hulk flies into a rage as the Puffball is left behind at the Crossroads. Xeron orders the crew to subdue the brute to no avail. The Hulk’s fit spoils Xeron’s crucial aim at Klaatu and it gives the space giant a chance to escape to another dimension. An enraged Cybor orders the ship back to the Crossroads in order to secure the Puffball Collective once more. This time, it’s encased in a force field that will allow it to pass thru the portals and the effort proves successful…as does the hunt for Klaatu. With the Hulk subdued, Xeron is able to strike multiple energy harpoons on the energy beast. Despite dragging the Andromeda across numerous dimensions, Klaatu begins to succumb but not before striking the ship down. The Hulk leaps to safety with the Puffball Collective, while the crew die on impact, and Xeron and Cybor critically wounded. The Hulk takes pity on Klaatu and removes the harpoons, who then restores his life force as thanks. Xeron and Cybor die as Klaatu disappears, and the Hulk and Puffball return to the Crossroads via the Fail-Safe Spell.
Commentary: Fat-head alert on this cover. I love mid-80’s Mignola, and for me, his covers are synonymous with the Crossroads stories. Next issue starts to deviate from the last seven months of stories.

[McFarlane's Green Hulk]

Incredible Hulk #308
“And Here There Be -- Demons!”

Cover Date: June 1985
Sale Date: March 12th, 1985
Writer: Bill Mantlo
Artist: Sal Buscema
Inker: Gerry Talaoc
Letterer: Jim Novak
Colorist: Bob Sharen
Editor: Carl Potts
Guest Stars/Supporting Cast/Villain: Puffball Collective, the N’Garai, the Triad.
Synopsis: Open to the Puffball Collective trying to explain to the Hulk what happened to their world before their arrival at the Crossroads. The word “home” triggers memories and we’re treated to a nice splash page of key moments in the Hulk’s history. More backstory is delivered on the Puffballs, leading them to a dimensional portal chained up. The Hulk’s raging attempt to shatter the chain proves unsuccessful but a strange and brief resurgence of intelligence has the Hulk precisely sever the chain’s link and break the doorway. They enter the portal and it leads them to a dead world, where a grieving Puffball encourages the Hulk to sleep as it suddenly departs. But the Hulk is prodded awake by three mysterious beings, Guardian, Goblin and Glow, just in time to see a N’Garai demon standing over him. They fight, but the N’Garai proves too much for him. The Puffball Collective reveals itself as a renegade cluster that intentionally released the N’Garai demons and was banished to the Crossroads for its deeds, and the chains sealed to keep the demons from escaping to other worlds. The Hulk, not comprehending anything, is prodded once again by the mysterious trio, only this time to escape. He tries to find the portal but triggers the Fail-Safe Spell instead. He leaps to the portal and somehow seals the portal once again just as the demons and Puffball Renegades try to escape. Trapped once again, the N’Garai take their frustration out on the Puffballs and the Hulk somberly slumps down in sadness at the loss of a friend as the mysterious trio appear claiming he will never be alone again.
Commentary: The Puffball Collective annoyed the hell outta me as a kid, not sorry to see them go. Although their heel turn seemed forced to get the Triad worked into the book. The Hulk’s intelligence will begin to fluctuate starting here. We saw some small verbalizing last issue, and we got some classic Hulk-speak here, but it’s not known just yet how he’s capable of doing this.

[Darthfury78]

[Dinosaur Hulk]

Was going through old Pak issues and stumbled upon this amazing panel.
RCO010_1469444851.jpg

[Cronus]

Incredible Hulk #307
“…the Hunt Across Worlds!”

Cover Date: May 1985
Sale Date: February 5th, 1985
Writer: Bill Mantlo
Artist: Sal Buscema
Inker: Gerry Talaoc
Letterer: Jim Novak
Colorist: Bob Sharen
Editor: Carl Potts
Guest Stars/Supporting Cast: Puffball Collective
Antagonists: Xeron, Captain Cybor, Klatuu
Synopsis: Continued minutes after the last page of the previous issue, the Hulk flies into a rage as the Puffball is left behind at the Crossroads. Xeron orders the crew to subdue the brute to no avail. The Hulk’s fit spoils Xeron’s crucial aim at Klaatu and it gives the space giant a chance to escape to another dimension. An enraged Cybor orders the ship back to the Crossroads in order to secure the Puffball Collective once more. This time, it’s encased in a force field that will allow it to pass thru the portals and the effort proves successful…as does the hunt for Klaatu. With the Hulk subdued, Xeron is able to strike multiple energy harpoons on the energy beast. Despite dragging the Andromeda across numerous dimensions, Klaatu begins to succumb but not before striking the ship down. The Hulk leaps to safety with the Puffball Collective, while the crew die on impact, and Xeron and Cybor critically wounded. The Hulk takes pity on Klaatu and removes the harpoons, who then restores his life force as thanks. Xeron and Cybor die as Klaatu disappears, and the Hulk and Puffball return to the Crossroads via the Fail-Safe Spell.
Commentary: Fat-head alert on this cover. I love mid-80’s Mignola, and for me, his covers are synonymous with the Crossroads stories. Next issue starts to deviate from the last seven months of stories.

A story from one of my favorite Hulk story arcs of all time. Exceptional stuff.

[Cth]

Kinda funny how the Rhino vs Fixit holiday fight may have been an inspiration for the Maestro's eventual look. Up until that point, he never had a beard or moustache had he?

[ChrisIII]

Was going through old Pak issues and stumbled upon this amazing panel.
RCO010_1469444851.jpg

From the team up with Red She-Hulk/Tyrannus that was sort of intended to be a tribute to Bond I think? Pretty sure that's Green Scar as well.

[ChrisIII]

Small note before you review #309-the comic I'm pretty sure shows up in Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift being being read by Han. Along with the Hulk truck in the movie somebody involved with the production was clearly a Hulk fan.

[Dinosaur Hulk]

From the team up with Red She-Hulk/Tyrannus that was sort of intended to be a tribute to Bond I think? Pretty sure that's Green Scar as well.

Yes it was very Bond-like story. Not sure 100 % if that's Green Scar but sounds just like him.

[Jekyll]

So I just finished reading, The Incredible Hulk 300 by Bill Mantlo. Is his entire run this good? Because that issue was absolutely fantastic!!! Probably my favorite single issue of a comic that I have read in awhile.

[Intothevoid]

I loved the latest issue of IH, there is so much yet to explore it's hard to believe this can end at issue 50.

Anyway i noticed something, a particular panel, so i went to Joe's instagram to figure out how far ahead he is at drawing these issues and he was working on this panel about 160 days ago or about 5 months ago.

Untitled.jpg

And he seems to have finished it over 100 days ago or about 3 and a half months ago.

Untitled1.jpg

I have no idea if this is standard for other comics, but it seems to me that Bennett and Ewing are very far ahead in terms of story and also what's already drawn as oppose to the issues we get to read. Like they have already finished issue 47 probably at this point fully drawn and colored.

[Vordan]

Solid issue! The last couple of IH issues have been good but not great and I was getting worried that Ewing had run out of gas right before the end. This one gets the ball rolling again though, love that Jackie basically has “Gamma Insight” and can see horrors that nobody else can. Wasn’t expecting Hulk to end up back in Hell so quickly so I’m eager to see how their next confrontation with the OBA goes and what’s happening to Banner.

I loved the latest issue of IH, there is so much yet to explore it's hard to believe this can end at issue 50.

Anyway i noticed something, a particular panel, so i went to Joe's instagram to figure out how far ahead he is at drawing these issues and he was working on this panel about 160 days ago or about 5 months ago.

Untitled.jpg

And he seems to have finished it over 100 days ago or about 3 and a half months ago.

Untitled1.jpg

I have no idea if this is standard for other comics, but it seems to me that Bennett and Ewing are very far ahead in terms of story and also what's already drawn as oppose to the issues we get to read. Like they have already finished issue 47 probably at this point fully drawn and colored.

Immortal Hulk probably never went pencils down, so they should have plenty of issues in the can. Although they did change the scheduling to once monthly I think, so maybe something did happen.

[Cth]

Loved how Joe reacted just like you'd expect upon arrival.

Interestingly, it's explicitly stated that cosmic rays are the opposite of gamma rays.

Given Waid's History of the Marvel U and Ewing's contributions as well as Hickman's, it all sets up gamma and cosmic rays further as the alpha and omega for the Marvel U.

If all goes well, cosmic energy (Good) closes the door to this universe, but this time gamma (Bad) usurps the process corrupting the restart. Franklin and Galactus being cosmic energy sourced are Good and associated with the One Above All.

I wonder if the massive cosmic ray dose Hulk got puts him in balance or how being separated from Bruce affects that. In the end it seems like thats the key to solving things, bringing Bruce into balance. Then again, that's essentially what Red Hulk was. So the question is will it result in a status quo change (split beings? cosmic powered Hulk? Bruce is gamma, Hulk is cosmic?)

[Bad Witch]

I'm about to start trade paperback num 7 of ewings current run. All i can say is this is a masterpiece. Ewings deconstruction of Banner and the hulks is as good as Morrisons deconstruction of batman. This just gets better and better. I also never read hulk before and don't know all of the players involved. I imagine knowing them adds to the overall presentation so far. Just a beautiful run. This is an instant buy when deluxe editions come out.

[Immortal Hulk]

Can't wait to see what the hell Joe and Hulk are going to do against that Leader/TOBA!